[9] At Mother Catherine Seal's request, Deacon Frank Lastie introduced drums into her Spiritual Church rituals in the late 1920s.

"Every month they would have a children's hour at the Hot Spot, that's where Fats used to play, and his drummer, Cornelius Coleman, would stand behind me with his hands on my shoulders.

Walter remembered, "It was a real good experience for me and a whole lot of other guys who came up during the time I was coming up because Freddie hired all young people.

They backed such artists as Little Willie John, Amos Milburn, Etta James, Ruth Brown, the Platters, and Big Mama Thornton until 1964.

[14] Another Eddie Bo band- James Rivers and Robert Parker on tenor sax, Porgy Jones on trumpet, Joe Morrison on guitar, Placide Adams on bass, and Walter Lastie on drums- played on the first hits by Irma Thomas ("Don't Mess with My Man") and Robert Parker ("All Nite Long"), and a Mardi Gras classic by Al Johnson ("Carnival Time").

[10] On one gig at the Club Tiajuana Lastie said he thought he was the only sighted musician performing in an all-blind band until one night when a fight broke out.

In the midst of the melee, one of the "blind" band members shouted at him, "Watch it, Popee, here comes a Regal Beer bottle at you."

During his career Lastie played drums for acts as varied as snake dancers[14] and New Orleans R&B masters Professor Longhair and Dr. John, among others.

[17] The French Market Jazz Hall Band, a traditional jazz outfit featuring David Lastie on tenor sax, Clarence Ford on tenor sax and clarinet, Waldren "Frog" Joseph on trombone, Placide Adams on bass, Richard Fleming on trumpet, Neal Unterseher on banjo, Betty Ann (Lastie) Williams on vocals, and Walter Lastie on drums, performed and recorded traditional jazz in the 1970s.

[6] Spotlighted in the band were Walter on drums, brother David on sax, and sister Betty Ann, who made appearances on gospel piano and as an R&B vocalist.

"Their performance was superb, like a dream come true, with strong support from the Lastie Brothers band", reported writer Clive Richardson in England's Juke Blues.

"[13] Walter showed nephew Joe Lastie how to refine the drumming technique his grandfather played in church.

[11] The younger Lastie, later a drummer with the Preservation Hall jazz band and leader of his own ensemble, found his family's legacy taught him that a life in music was possible.

[20] Lastie died of a heart attack at age 42 on December 28, 1980,[11] as he and his band played "When The Saints Go Marching In" at Jackson Square in New Orleans.